Until youve felt the sensation, theres no way you can know how it feels. I simply cannot convey with words how it feels to be standing in the surf with big red drum coming in all around you when your line suddenly goes slack. Your mind instantly assumes someone elses cast cut your line or a bluefish with an open mouth and razor teeth just snagged it but theres always hope in your heart.

The drum fisherman knows the drill. Lower the rod tip, wind up the slack, and when you feel resistance, put enough pressure on the fish to set the 8/0 hook firmly in his jaw. The feeling Im talking about is the resistance you feel when you raise that tip and a citation drum is there.

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If you could imagine finding your line attached to the handle of an underwater garden tiller in a rocky garden, that might be a fair comparison but, as I said, the sensation simply cant be described until youve felt it. The head shaking, the bulldog strength, and surge of line leaving the reel, all contribute to one of the best feelings Ive ever had. Of course, that euphoria is balanced with some anxiety that you or your equipment might not be up to the task of conquering this marine monster and bringing him to the beach for a stretch of the tape and a photo before he returns to his watery domain.

In the last few years, tremendous strides have been made in fishing rods. Manufacturing techniques have been refined, new materials have been developed and computer technology has allowed engineering advances. All these improvements have brought us the finest fishing tackle in history at the lowest prices. Almost every rod is an off the shelf production model. Remember, I said almost, theres always room for improvement.

I have never caught a big drum on a standard production rod. I have a couple that probably would achieve the feat but every big drum Ive caught has been on a custom rod. I have two such rods. One is an 11-foot rod my buddy, Billy Lagle, gave me for Christmas. The other is a 13-foot one piece/two piece he gave me a few years later.

Custom rods are like anything else you have custom made, they incorporate features you simply cant get off the shelf from a high production product. Many custom rods are made for their beauty. The best rod builders incorporate the very best components with custom colors, wraps, and handle designs to produce a one of a kind fishing rod a discriminating angler can be proud of. These are one of a kind and built to the specifications of the new owner.

The British way of saying this would be to say they are bespoke rods, that is, they are made to the exact standards of decoration and construction the owner desires.

What makes my custom surf rods special is their utility. They both have a lot of backbone for casting heavy sinkers a long way out into really rough water. Normally when big drum are caught, the water is simply too rough for a normal weight sinker to stay out. There are production rods that will handle the weight but there is also the factor of casting distance. A really good rod with a really good caster can put an eight ounce sinker and a big chunk of menhaden out 175 yards from the beach. I can only achieve about 125 but I have to use a really good rod to get there.

Next Saturday, the best custom rod builders in the world will converge on High Point at the Showplace Center for the International Custom rod Building Exposition. The show opens at 8:00 AM both days and closes at 6:00 PM Saturday and 5:00 PM Sunday. This is the worlds largest custom rod building show and is shaping up to be the largest theyve ever held. There will be hundreds of exhibitors, almost two dozen seminars in rod building by the leading names in the business and thousands of the finest custom rods in the world. In addition, Rod Maker Magazine is sponsoring a reception for subscribers and guests on Friday night at Centennial Station. Light snacks and beverages will be provided and there will be over 150 door prizes. If youre into or you want to get into rod building or you just want a special rod thats a one of a kind, this is the place to be.

Dick Jones is an award winning freelance writer living in High Point. Hes a member of the board of directors of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association. He writes about hunting, fishing, dogs, and shooting for several NC newspapers as well as national magazines and websites. He has fished both fresh and salt water most of his life. If youd like to have him speak to your group, he can be reached at offtheporchmedia.com